I see people desperately tweeting for freelance projects every day. Copywriters, graphic designers, even home builders. The funny thing is there are even more people on Twitter looking for people with those very skills. So, why aren’t the two connecting?
Because they are both busy thinking about their own problem. “I need a job, quick!” or “I gotta get this website up.” So, they tweet what they need. But the smart freelancers don’t think about themselves. They think about what the potential client needs, and easily finds people to connect and possibly work with.
Here’s how to do it in three easy steps:
Step “0”) Sign up for a Twitter Account.
Obviously. Use great keywords in your title and profile, so people searching for what you do will find you. You will want to have a link to your website in your profile, too. And before you follow the next three steps, put some real content into your stream. If you connect with someone looking to hire a freelancer, the first thing they are going to do is read your profile and your stream. If there is valuable information there, you are much more likely to get the gig.
Step 1) Set up an ongoing search for appropriate keywords.
Using Search.Twitter.com or some other twitter search platform, perform a search on the following groups of words plus keywords related to your specialty. If I were looking for copywriting gigs, I would search for…
- “looking for” + copywriter
- “recommend” + copywriter
- “I need” + copywriter
- “looking for” + “sales letter”
- “can anyone recommend” +“direct response”
- “I need” “SEO articles”
Get the idea? Think about what your ideal client would say in a tweet if they were looking for you. Then search for it.
Step 2) Contact that person.
I’ve had good luck making a casual tweet back asking them what they are looking for. I’ve also contacted potential clients via email, LinkedIn or Facebook and mentioning that I saw their tweet. There’s no telling how long before they’ll be back on Twitter. So, if you really want to reach the person, go to their website and find a phone number or email.
Step 3) Wash, rinse and repeat.
I use TweetDeck to manage my timeline. So, it’s easy to set up a search column for each phrase and leave them running all the time. That way I know the minute someone is searching for what I do. The faster you get back in touch, the more likely they’ll be interested in talking to you.
By the way, this isn’t just for freelancers. It works for consultants and contractors and retail stores and you
If you want to connect with someone, figure out what they want and give it to them. It’s that simple.
Authored by Julie Anne Eason
Julie Anne Eason is a professional copywriter and web publisher. She buys way too many domains for her own good, and is very grateful for GoDaddy promo codes and discounts.
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Can’t forget social media in general is a lovely tool in an attempt to brand yourself. I’m personally a fan of linked in as my source, but might have to look into twitter as well as a brand growing source.